The Nautical Chart

The Nautical Chart by Aruro Perez-Reverte was described as a swashbuckling adventure. And to a certain point it was. One of the "problems" I had when I read this was that it takes place in modern day Spain. And I think I am so "Pirates of the Carib." obsessed that I had to keep bringing my mind through time to the present. The word cell phone just tripped me up. And that is TOTALLY my problem, not the authors. I love this guys writing style. This is the third book I have read by him and he has me hooked and loyal.

The story is about a sailor that currently finds himself without a ship. He, Coy, has been suspended from his career for two years due to an accident. It wasn't his fault but he was the navigator on duty at the time of the collision. So while in his land wanderings he meets a beautiful woman named Tanger. She has become obsessed with finding a boat that sunk off the coast near Cartegena. So the story revolves around Tanger's quest and Coy's willingness to help her. Love, intrigue, murder. It's all there.

It's a fun story. But if you are looking for spell binding page turners this isn't quite it. Mr. Perez-Reverte likes to build his stories with beautiful prose and "deep thoughts and reflections". That does not mean this story is boring, not by any means. It's a beautiful and interesting tale told by a master of prose.

Fool Moon

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher is the 2nd in the Harry Dresden Wizard series. I guess it's easiest to simply say "I'm in Love" these books are marvelous. Easy ready escapes from the world. I have officially now missed my bus stop twice I was so engrossed in the story.

Storm Front

Storm Front by Jim Butcher is the first book in the Harry Dresden Wizard series. These are the books that the Sci Fi. series is based on. I LOVE them both. I am especially enjoying this because I adore the man that plays Harry Dresden on the show. So having him running around in my head is a good thing. The voice in the story is exactly like the television series. So far the characters are all the same. Murphy the cop, her skeptical partner, and Bob the skull. There are slight changes in the television series that actually work. Such as Bob gets a body in the series but so far not in the book. It just works better for the tv show. Murphy in the books is more believeing in the magic. And Harry can be more forthcoming about it in the books. But still, the similarities are enough to allow me to easily play the show in my head while I read. I am REALLY enjoying this series. Fast, easy and entertaining. A beach blanket book that has intelligence and fun all rolled into one nice package. Seriously a great read.

Flesh and Blood

Flesh and Blood my Michael Cunningham tells the story of three generations of a family that came from the "old world" to the United States. It's a beautiful tale of all the things that keep a family together but also the things that tear them apart. Of what makes the various people of a family love and hate each other. I am not sure what else to say except that I enjoyed reading this. I can't say I fell in love with any character or that I cared deeply for any of them, but I enjoyed reading about each of their lives. This was just simply a well written story about a family.

The Wooden Sea

The Wooden Sea by Jonathan Carroll was an interesting story. I really liked the idea behind it. The main character is chief of police in a small town in New York. One day a three legged dog is found in a grocery store parking lot. No one knows what to do with the dog so they bring it to the police station. Frannie, the police chief brings the dog into his office. Goes and buys him food, dishes, and a blanket and let's the dog hang out with him while he tries to figure out what to do. But as he is talking about the dog with his family the dog dies.

And Frannie's life will never be the same.

I liked this story up until the end. It wasn't a bad end. It was just not a really satisfying end. The author gets you thinking about all sorts of things, time, love, aging, the universe, god, you name it, he gives you something to think long and hard about. But the end just sort of ends. Maybe he intended it to be that way. After all, we don't have answers to the great questions so why would he provide one? So maybe, as I think about it, it wasn't so bad after all.

In the Company of the Courtesan

In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant is a wonderful tale about 16th Century Venice. After Rome is sacked by Spanish and German invaders a dwarf and his partner a beautiful Venetian Courtesan return to her home in Venice to start anew.

This is a beautiful story. I fell in love with the author's previous book The Birth of Venus so I was anxious to read her next novel. And this one did not disappoint.

Deathstalker Rebellion

Deathstalker Rebellion by Simon R. Green is book 2 in his massive Deathstalker series. I absolutely and completely LOVE anything written by this man. And the Deathstalker series has been no exception. They are fun and interesting reads. Comical yet bloody good adventures. And even if not all that much happens in 400 pages, it is still a most excellent 400 pages. I plowed through this book with gusto. I couldn't read enough. Simon Green continues to leave me in awe with everything I read from him. I just simply love his style, his characters, and his incredibly creative mind. Picking up a Simon Green book is always a gift to myself. The man is a literary god.

Myth Hunters

Myth Hunters by Christopner Golden is a marvelous read. The main character Oliver Bascombe is sitting quietly in his mother's parlor when a very wounded Jack Frost enters his life. And Jack is being hunted. So Oliver helps Jack escape only to find himself in The Veil. The Veil was created as a place for those of magic and mystery to go because mankind had lost its sense of wonder and belief. Man had become fixated on schedules and work. There was no place in the world for things of wonder and beauty.

But in helping Jack, Oliver becomes one of the hunted. And now they both must flee for their lives.

I can't begin to tell you how much I loved this story. The second book, Borderkind comes out at the end of the month. I can't wait.

The God of Small Things

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy has been re-shelved about 142 pages into the story. I just can't seem to get into it. And there are so many books to read. Maybe I'll pick it back up and finish it one of these days but for now it will get dusty.

The Dark Water

The Dark Water by David Pirie tells the adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle and his friend Joseph Bell. Doyle is stalked and hunted by a man known as Cream. Much like Holmes Moriarty this man figures profoundly in Doyles life.

I picked this book up at the library on a whim. And it is a very fast and easy read. I found myself immersed in the story and enjoying it. But I also found myself distracted and my mind would wander. I don't know if it was the book or my mood but I even put it down about 120 pages into it and thought to return it unfinished. But I picked it back up and finished it in no time. I'm glad I at least found out the end to the mystery.

Teckla

Teckla by Steven Brust is the 5th book chronologically in the Vlad Taltos series. I love these books. Fast reads with enough action and mystery to keep me hooked.

Please Don't Come Back from the Moon

Please don't Come Back from the Moon by Dean Bakopoulos tells the story of a small midwestern town. One day almost all the father's up and leave. The explanation: they went to the moon. How else could they disapear so completely.

This is the story of how the abandoned sons grew up and what their lives became. Would they join their father's? What would they all become as they grew older?

It's a fascinating story. An easy read. Nothing incredibly deep or life changing. But I read a review when this book first came out and they said it was marvelous. I enjoyed this story and I"m glad I read it.

In the Hand of Dante

In the Hand of Dante by Nick Tosches is quite a read. I enjoyed this book. The author is raw and graphic. But also heartbreakingly beautiful in his writing style. The story is fascinating. And this is the second book in a row in which I feel that the author is truly a deeply knowledgeable person with more brains in their pinky than the a roomful of average people. Damn is this man smart.

But much like Club Dumas this is not a book that makes you feel stupid. On the contrary. It's entertaining and educational. It is also a great adventure into the seedier sides of life.

The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte is a stunning book. Very intriguing, highly intellectual, yet all the time remaining on solid ground with a writing style that flows easily, isn't pretentious, and allows any reader to enjoy the story. I could have felt a bit out of my league reading this but the author does an excellent job of "keeping it real" for lack of a better way to describe it. It is the story of a manuscript, a chapter from Dumas' Three Musketeers. Is it authentic? And if so why are there two different handwriting's on the pages? Why is one set white and the other blue?

While trying to find out the authenticity of the manuscript the main character is plunged into another mystery. That of a book of which there are only three known copies in the world. Believed to have been destroyed for it's satanic content could any of the three be the actual original? Or are they all copies? Do they differ in anyway that might be telling?

The main character suddenly finds himself in trouble. Someone wants him dead. And the two mysteries are somehow tied together.

You'll have to read the story to find out more. It's a fast paced read. A fascinating look into the world of book collecting. As well as a little bit of history. You learn a lot in this book but find yourself enjoying the education.

The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad is a very good read. I learned a great deal about the Afghan culture as well as enjoyed a good story. The author lived with a family for several months and this is their story. She tells us a little about each family member. Telling us their story from each of their own perspectives. It's a fascinating tale.

If you ever wanted to know more about this region of the country this is an excellent and fast read.

Dead Run

Dead Run by P.J. Tracy is book three in the Monkeewrench series. I started the book late Saturday night and finished it early in the afternoon Sunday. I couldn't stop. I couldn't read fast enough. What a wild ride. It was just fabulous. I can't even begin to tell you how much I have fallen in love with the characters. The story is fast paced and exciting. You won't be able to put it down. My mother in law tells me that #4 - Snow Blind is even better. How can it get even better? I'm almost afraid to find out. I had promised myself that I would space these books out, that I didn't want to run out of them so quickly. But dang it, like a heroin addict I couldn't' stay away. I just couldn't. The book called to me. It called...................

The Memory Keepers Daughter

The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards was a really good read. It is beautifully written and has wonderful character development. I think I most enjoyed the twins - the two children the story focuses around. For me their story was the most interesting and important. I almost wish the story had focused more on them and less on the parents.

I also found some plot changes to be a bit abrupt. Momentous things happened to main characters and it is just sort of thrown at you. I'm not sure how the author could have done any better but I just felt a little cheated for lack of a better way to describe it.

Kind of like coming home one day and haing our mom yell from the laundry room that the dog died. Just a little too abrupt and matter of fact. You would think you would get a little more "feed in" before the actual news is dropped into your lap.

But aside from some abrupt plot turns I really did enjoy this story. Part of me hopes that she writes a follow-up novel. I would love to spend more time with the twins.

Electric Michelangelo

Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall tells the story of Cy from his youth and through the rest of his life. Cy is a talented artist who is befriended by a tattoo artist. The artist takes Cy on as an apprentice and this story follows Cy's career. From the shores of England to Coney Island and back. This story spans from the turn of the century through 2 world wars. It's a good read. I don't regret it, but it was slow and some what repetitive. The author has some beautiful prose in this book. And that made it well worth the read.

Live Bait

Live Bait by PJ Tracy is book two in their Monkeewrench mysteries. PJ Tracy is a mother and daughter writing team. I loved this book as much as the first. And I was on the edge of my seat till the very last page. This was a stupendous story. And it poses the most interesting moral questions.

I loved it. It made me laugh and it made me cry. It REALLY made me cry. I wasn't expecting to get so emotionally involved in the characters. But I'm in it for the long run. I can't wait to read the next one.

Monkeewrench

Monkeewrench by PJ Tracy is mystery writing at it's best. This was absolutely a wonderful read. I fell in love with the characters, the story, everything. It was just marvelous. And it was everything we hope for when we read a mystery. Actually it was everything we hope for in a book period. I recommend this to everyone!

You are Not a Stranger Here

You are not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett is a marvelous collection of short stories. I loved every single story in this book and found myself wishing to hear more about each character.

I thought I could pick a favorite story or two in the book but I can't. I found each and every one of them fascinating.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See is a remarkable book set in 19th century China. Told through the eyes of Lily we learn what life was like for women in the remote villages. From foot binding, to 10 day wedding fasts, mother-in-laws, to sacred friendships, this is an amazing and very educational story.

I loved every word in this book. The story is beautifully told. And I was enthralled by the characters and their lives.

Shadows Fall

Shadows Fall by Simon R. Green is another fabulous story from a wonderfully creative author. I loved this story. Absolutely loved it. But I have loved everything he has written. The ONLY thing that surprised me a tad in this book is how much more graphic his violence was. Normally he leaves a great deal to your imagination. But in this book he spells it out for you in black and white. There was no guessing how gruesome a scene was.

This story is about the town where legends and hero's go once people stop believing in them. The town is magical and amazing. Green mentions Shadow's Fall several times in his Nightside series and this story goes into detail about life within it's ever changing boundaries.

I, Mona Lisa

I, Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis was simply a wonderful read. The story tells the tale of the woman behind the famous painting. And it does so in a rich and captivating way. If I could go back in time I would want to go to Florence in the time of DaVinci, Michelangelo, and the Medici. So when I saw this book on the store shelf I had to get it. It was a chance to live, if even for 500 pages, in the world I so admire.

Now, I know this is fiction based on historical fact. So I realize that what takes place in the story is far from an accurate historical count but if there is a story behind the Mona Lisa it might as well be this one.

I passed this story on to my father to read. It's the kind of tale that you don't want to keep to yourself. It paints too beautiful a story to keep to oneself.

Haunted

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk is hands down the strangest and most disturbing book I have ever read. This man makes Stephen King look like a romance writer.

I don't know if there are even words to adequetly discribe how freak'n weird this book is.

The plot is basically this: a group of rag tag authors all sign up to go away on a three month writers retreat. All their needs are to be provided for. The only thing they have to do is write.

Made up of short stories, poems, and chapters about what is happening at the writer's retreat this book reads more like an episode of "Survivor" on crack, meth, LCD, and pcp all at once. This is one seriously demented book. And of course no matter how queezy I got, no matter how badly I wanted to shake off the images it put in my head I coudn't stop reading. This book is a train wreck in print.

This is the stuff that nightmares are made of. And I can't wait to pick up another book by this author. He's seriously a demented man.

Oxygen

Oxygen by Andrew Miller tells the tale of three men. Two are brother's and one is a Hungarian author living in Paris. One of the brother's is translating the work of the author but they never meet. The story focuses around the brother's and their mother who is dying of lung cancer. The third character, the author, in a separate story is approached by a group of people struggling for political freedoms. They need his help moving a package into Hungry.

I was a little less than half way through this story when I almost gave up on it. The reviews for this story are excellent. Except one review saw the entire focus of the story to be about cancer and the slow and painful death from it. Because I didn't necessarily want to read a book that heavy and probably depressing I put it down. But something niggled at me and I picked it back up.

I'm glad I did. This story didn't necessarily have a huge point. There was no grand moment, no dawning of any ages, but it was a good story. Very well written and quite interesting.

The Love-Artist

The Love-Artist by Jane Alison was a really interesting book to read. Set in ancient Rome and centering around the story of Ovid this is a fascinating fictional look at a portion of his life. The story was inspired by the few remaining lines from one of his works, Madea:

"I gave you your life. Now you're wondering, will I take it, too?"

The author built a marvelous story around the person that inspired those lines as well as the entire work.

This is a fast and wonderful read. For historical fiction it captures your interest and your imagination from the first page.

Changing Planes

Changing Planes by Ursula K. LeGuin was a fun and fascinating read. The book is a "travel guide" about 15 different planes or worlds that you can visit while you wait at an airport for your actual plane. The flying machine kind.

Each chapter describes a different world. The people that inhabit the worlds are not all humanoid. They are at different levels of advancement/technology. They have varying beliefs, languages, religions, etc.

Overall this was a very fun story and I enjoyed the light-hearted humor. I also enjoyed the ideas expressed in each plane and how they compare to our world, it's practices and it's beliefs. This would actually be a very fun book to read on a trip. On a plane to be more precise. An escape from the "rushed" waiting of air travel. After all, it's the monotony of air travel that started the whole thing..............

Monkey Hunting

Monkey Hunting by Gabriel Garcia – This was an interesting story that spanned 100 years and 5 generations. This is the story of a Chinese man who went to Cuba on promises of riches only to find himself on a slave ship bound for the sugar fields of Cuba.
His life and those of his descendants follows.

I enjoyed this story. It was not life changing but it was life reflective. And life appreciative. I found myself realizing how lucky I have been in terms of when and where I was born.

This is a fast and easy read. And I’m glad I ordered it.

A Feast For Crows

A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin – This is the fourth installment of his Fire and Ice Series. This VERY long awaited book got to be too long and was as yet unfinished so the book is being published in two releases. When this decision was made they chose to have half the stories told in Crows, and then the other stories would be completed in the yet to be released Dance of Dragons.

To clarify, in this series each chapter is told through the eyes of different characters. And these characters live in different areas of 7 Kingdoms. So in Crows he only covered half the characters in half the kingdoms. Dance of Dragons will complete the stories during a certain time line.

Unlike the previous three novels I found myself getting a little aggravated with Crows. The writing style is as beautiful as ever. But the stories progressed a little slower. And I know that going into Dragons we will be forced to figure out where in the time line the characters are. Whereas the previous three books flowed nicely because you were finding out what was happening during a specific time to different characters. It was easier to follow because as you finished a chapter your picture of the kingdom grew larger and larger as well as more complete.

I think the fact that he divided #4 is going to make for less continuous story. Especially if his current trends continue we won’t see Dragons for several more years.

Unfortunately the story got longer and his need for perfection has become an obsession. Even the most hard core of his readers will find themselves loosing their dedication. A great story shouldn’t be work to read.

I trust for now he will get Dragons out as soon as humanely possible. And it will be written in a style that will help us to keep the time line in story order. Judging from reviews I read by readers I was not the only one that struggled through Crows. Of course the last chapter for each character was exciting and ended in cliff hangers. But it didn’t make for the pleasurable reading that the previous three did. Unlike my normal routine I did go back and read the first three books again. But I did that 4 years ago when they first announced the release date for Crows. But every month the release date pushed back. By the time Crows did come out I struggled a bit to remember where #3 had left off. Again, I wasn’t the only one that did this. Other fans re-read the series, other fans found themselves having re-read for “no reason”.

And Crows was such a disappointment that I almost dread having to re-read it just before Dance of Dragons is released. If it is released………………….

I do want to clarify “disappointment”. Honestly I enjoyed the story. I really did. And I couldn’t wait to curl up and read it. But with the absence of some characters, and with the relative “uneventfulness” of much of the story, I just didn’t LOVE the book the way I did the previous three. And I LOVED the first three so much that anything shy of their perfection seems to be a disappointment.

The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - As most readers know you have to read a lot of books to find those few gems out there that take your breath away. My father and I trade book info on a regular basis. He had been very anxious for me to keep reading the John Dunning series. Which is exactly what I was doing when he called to tell me about The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. He then called me approximately twice each day to see if I had started the book. Which for my dad is a little odd. Previous to this book he had really really really wanted me to read The Bookman's Promise. So I was completely amazed that he wanted me to give up one book he really wanted me to read in exchange for a different book. So, I read late into the night to finish Bookman's Promise and began the Thirteenth Tale over coffee in the morning. And HOLY COW! This is an amazing book. This is a warm and rich tale that pulls you into the story so deeply that I often felt like I had fallen into a dream. It's not often that I get so deeply sucked into a story that I forget about my surroundings. This is not a story to change your life. This is not a story that will change you necessarily in any way, but it is a story that is deeply engrossing. This is a story that really makes you feel like you are a part of the adventure. A fly on the wall so to speak. A voyeur. A story written so well that the characters became individual faces and voices in my head. This type of experience is why we read. Why we read mediocre story after mediocre story. Because every once in a while we find a brilliant gem.

The Bookman's Promise

What a ride. The Bookman's Promise by John Dunning.

This is the third in a wonderful series. I love these books and it seems like each one I read is better than the last. Dunning has created a marvelous world revolving around the life of a cop turned book dealer. The Bookman's Promise is about just that. A promise the main character makes to a dying woman. I love these books and I can devour them in a day or so. I have book #4 sitting on my shelf but I hesitate to read it just yet. I want to savor the experience. Opening a book by Dunning is a reward I give myself every so often. I like to spread out my bliss.

Baudolino

Life's too short to waste on a bad book. But what about a book that isn't so much bad as it is tedious. Or maybe the word is slow. Or maybe the word is "Just not grabbing me" but yet the back of my lil ol' brain sorta wants to keep going. The story is Baudolino by Umberto Eco. And I decided this morning after 150 some pages to put it down for a while. I'm used to reading a book or two a week and this story seems to be bogging me down from my usual pace.

The Big Over Easy

The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde is the first book in his second series. I have read his first series which is based on the character Thursday Next. He is a wonderfully creative artist. Reading one of his books is always a joyous adventure.

This new series did not disapoint. It's centers around the Nursery Crime Division and it's chief detective Jack Spratt along with his partner Detective Mary Mary. Yes, you guessed it. The characters are all from nursery rhymes.

The first book in the Thursday Next Series is the Eyre Affair. Pick up either one and you are in for a wonderous treat!

The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists

The Pirates In an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe is a funny fast read. By fast I mean 1/2 day. By fun, I mean a half day of reading with the image of Captain Jack Sparrow in my head. This is not related in any way to the Pirates of the Carribean, but hey, the story is about pirates. So, DUH!

Funny and fast. This would be the perfect book to take to the beach, on a plane, what have you. No deep thoughts here. Just fun.

Deathstalker

Deathstalker by Simon R. Green

is another wonderful story by this talented author. I just love this guy's style. It's easy, breezy, and beautiful. But still requires you to use the old grey cells. Nothing better than a fun good read. Thre are several books in the Deathstalker series. And I am looking very forward to digging right in.

The Confessions of Max Tivoli

The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer tells the life story of Max Tivoli.

Max was unique in that he was born into the body of an old man and physically aged backwards though his mental development moved normally in time.

This is an interesting tale told at the end of the 19th century and into the beginning of the 20th.

I like this story for it's uniqueness. And it finished it feeling like my mind had a new concept to wrap it's self around.

I found myself occasionally debating putting the book down because I wasn't in love with the story itself. The love of Max's life, Alice, gets to be a little tedious. But curiosity won out and I read the entire story. The end is sad and not quite what I expected. The character I most enjoyed was actually Max's best friend Hughie. I walk away from the book wishing I knew a little bit more about him.

Good lines from the story:

•“Love…, ever unsatisfied, lives always in the moment that is about to come.” Marcel Proust

•“We are each the love of someone’s life.” opening sentence in book.

•“It takes too much imagination to see the sorrows of people we take for happy. Their real battles take place, like those of the stars, in some realm of light imperceptible to the human eye. It is a feat of the mind to guess another’s heart.”

•“The shock was akin to that of buying, out of duty, a novel written by a dull and uninspired acquaintance and finding there passages of heartrending beauty and rapture that one could never imagine coming from such a tedious person.”

•“It is a brave and stupid thing, a beautiful thing, to waste one’s life for love.”

Crusader's Cross

Crusaders Cross by James Lee Burke - What can I say. The man is a god. James Lee Burke has written another amazing story in his Dave Robicheaux series. Crusader's Cross tells the story of Dave and his brother Jimmy's youth. A women that rescued them from certain death and then seemed to slip through their fingers. Many years later the mystery comes back to haunt the two men. And Dave wants to get to the bottom of the story. He also needs to stop a brutal serial killer and find out why there are contracts out on his life and that of his friend Clete.

Lines I loved from this story:

•“….did all these things, and many others, in a blithe, carefree spirit, like a unicorn on purple acid crashing good-naturedly through a clock shop.”

•“massive Evangeline oak under which I first kissed Bootsie and discovered how the world could become a cathedral in the time it takes for two people to press their mouths against one another.”

•“….would forever be the Renaissance humanist, bearing his faith and optimism like a white light inside a chalice.”

•“He’s got polka dot giraffes running around in his head,but he’s the best guy I’ve ever known."

The Nameless Day

The Nameless Day by Sara Douglass tells the story of a 14th century friar that has been visited by the Archangel Michael and told that he will be the salvation of mankind. Or maybe, it's damnation. That he will have choices to make and evil will try to corrupt him at every turn.

It's an interesting tale. And I enjoyed it very much. It's a slow read, the print is tiny and the book is thick. But I looked forward to sitting down and reading it every day.

There are at least 2 more books in what the author calls "The Crucible Series". I already grabbed book number two but I will probably wait a bit before diving into it.

Beta Newt

I switched my Literary Muse site to Blogger Beta.............we'll see...................

My Life as a Fake

My life as a Fake by Peter Carey was not a bad story, it was interesting enough but not something I would recommend. As the old saying goes, sometimes you have to read a lot of frogs before your find your prince.

This story was simply a frog. Not good, and not bad. Just a frog.

Basically it tells the story of a man who invented an author and the repercussions of that act. The story becomes further intriguing when the phony author becomes a real flesh and blood person who feels like his life has been stolen from him. Did the poet really exist or was he truly a figment of a failed authors imagination? This tale sets out to uncover the truths behind the legendary events.

The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing and The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars - Two for one book review

Since it was hotter than hades this weekend I stayed in the air conditioned confines of my living room. And I read. A Lot.

I picked up The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank at the used book store down the street. I started it Sunday morning and finished it Sunday afternoon. It was a good read. Totally not what I expected, it went a little deeper than I thought it would. I think every women can see some point in her life within this book. The main character, Jane, describes in each chapter a moment out of her life. Her loves, her family, her loss, devastation, and triumph. This story proves that "The Rules" of love and dating don't really exist. Each relationship, each person is unique and nothing works according to a given set of rules.



The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars by Steven Brust. This was an interesting book. It told two stories, one was about a group of artists that had a studio together. The other story was a mythical tale about how the sun, the moon, and the stars got to be up in the sky. I didn't mind the story but I wouldn't say it was a must read. I like folk tales so I stuck with it to see how that story came out. But the artist parts were not necessarily gripping. I enjoy his Vlad Taltos series a great deal more.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds

Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest - I've given up the mysteries and the vampires for a while and decided to read a good old fashioned ghost story. I saw this book at a local shop and found the story idea intriguing. So I picked it up and put it away on my shelf for a while. Well, seeing as I am having bizarre vampire nightmares I decided a change would be good.

This is the story of Eden. A woman who was raised by her Aunt and Uncle after the death of her mother. She never knew her father. Eden is protected by three ghosts. They watch over her and warn her of any danger. And danger she is in. A distant family member has taken it upon himself to rid the world of an accursed ancestor that he believes has come back to life in Eden. Both Sinister and hopeful, this is a wonderful story. A reflection of family that is for better or for worse all too true.

The Bookman's Wake

I loved #2 in the Cliff Janeway series by author John Dunning. It's called The Bookman's Wake and it was wonderful. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I just love it when books become so engrossing that you forget where you are. Give John Dunning a try. You'll be glad you did.

The interesting part of this story, aside from the mystery was the education you get in little artistic publishing companies. In this case a family business that would take classic stories and turn them into a work of art. The story revolves around Poe's The Raven. And one man's quest to make the perfect publication.

Jhereg

Jhereg is #4 of Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series. He recommends reading them in chronological order rather than publication order. Which I am doing. #4 also happens to be the first published. He explains things in there that I have had to figure out on my own. It's not rocket science so I am pretty clear on it all but this did help clarify things. So, I am enjoying reading them in chronological order, I wouldn't change that. But a glossery or summary of terms/people/places would be helpful for those of us that are doing it this way.

I can summarize his books best with the word: Fun!

Booked to Die and Vampire Hunter D #2 - two book reviews

Dad told me I had to read Booked to Die by John Dunning. And so I did. And I loved it. The main character is a cop. And a book collector. I never knew much about the book collecting business. These stories are changing that. It's actually a very interesting business.

I have mentioned before that I read voraciously and that is due to my parents. They have had me reading since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. In fact I remember sitting in my dad's lap reading his novels to him. In my little girl sing song voice I would read to him slowly stumbling over the big words and getting excited as I read sentence after sentence without mistakes. We have been reading together ever since. Now several thousand miles separate us but we are closer than ever. He called me a few times every day to see what page I was on. I hope he knows how much I cherish this.

Vampire Hunter D #2 - great story. Again, I bless Jay's little heart. This is a fun read. The character D has to battle a new monster in this story. One that he didn't believe exhisted. Vampires that can walk in the sun.

Thief of Lives and Yendi - two for one review

Thief of Lives by Barb and J.C. Hendee. This is the second book in their vampire series. I liked Dhampir, the first book, and this one was even better. Great character development and a great story. This time the dhampir and her half-elf partner head to the capital city to solve it's vampire problem. If they do so they will get a reward large enough to help save their home town from financial ruin. As this story ends the plot thickens, motives remain puzzling, and I am even more anxious to read the next installment.






Yendi is book two in the Vlad Taltos Series by Steven Brust. In this Vlad tells how he got involved in a war and how the women that was to become his wife killed him.